Generally described, mobile devices, such as mobile telephones and hand-held devices, utilize communication networks to exchange data with other mobile devices and/or computer devices. In a typical embodiment, a mobile device can utilize a wireless communication network, and various network protocols, to transmit and receive data. In such an embodiment, a mobile device can maintain continuous, or semi-continuous, wireless connections to allow a user with a mobile device to receive and transmit electronic mail. As the computing device processing resources and wireless network communication bandwidth continue to increase, the use of wireless enabled mobile devices to receive/transmit electronic mail has substantially increased.
FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrative of a system 100 for facilitating the transmission of electronic mail data to a mobile device via a cellular communication network. The system 100 is generally referred to as a “push” data model, in which data, such as electronic mail messages, is transmitted to a client as the data is received. With reference to FIG. 1, the system 100 includes a plurality of clients 102, such as mobile telephones, hand-held devices, etc., that include some form of wireless (e.g., cellular) transmission capability. As illustrated in FIG. 1, each of the mobile devices 102 is in wireless communication with one of several mobile device operators 104. Generally described, a mobile device operator 104 is a service provider that maintains radio frequency-based communication with any number of mobile devices 102. The wireless communication between the mobile devices 102 and the mobile device operator 104, such as via a cellular communication network, is well known and will not be described in greater detail.
With continued reference to FIG. 1, each mobile device operator 104 is also in communication with a data service provider 106. A typical data service provider 106 can be a server computer configured to transmit messages corresponding to identified mobile users. As will be explained in greater detail below, the data service provider 106 monitors for incoming data (e.g., electronic mail messages) and pushes the data to a corresponding mobile operator 104 for transmission to a selected mobile device 102. The network connection between the data service provider 106 and the mobile operators 104 may be via a wireless communication network and/or a wired communication network. The data service provider 106 is also in communication with a number of electronic mail interface computing devices 108. The electronic mail interface computing devices 108 generally correspond to specially configured computing devices that serve as an interface between a local network mail repository 110 and the data service provider 106.
In practice, as updated information, such as a new electronic mail, is received at the network mail repository 110, the electronic mail interface computing device 108 obtains a copy of the mail and forwards a notification to the data service provider 106. The data service provider 106 processes the incoming message notifications and identifies the mobile device 102 that is to receive the mail. The data service provider 106 then forwards a notification and/or the mail to a corresponding mobile operator 104, which transmits the information to the selected mobile device 102.
In this approach, the mobile device 102 receives notifications/data as the data is received by the data service provider 106. Although this approach provides a real-time, or substantially real-time, transmission of data to a mobile device 102, it requires a number of specialized computing device applications and/or specialized business relationships. For example, in a typical embodiment, each local network is required to maintain an electronic mail interface computing device 108 to forward incoming message notifications to the data service provider 106. Additionally, the system 100 requires a centralized information collection and distribution center (e.g., data service provider 106), which typically charges a service fee to each mobile device user. Further, this approach requires the data service provider 106 to maintain appropriate communication interfaces, such as specialized software, and specialized business relationships with a number of mobile operators to allow the data service provider to initiate contact with a selected mobile device 102.
FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrative of an alternate system 200 for facilitating the transmission of electronic mail data to a mobile device via a cellular communication network. The system 200 is generally referred to as a “pull” data model, in which data, such as electronic mail messages, is transmitted to a client, such as a mobile device, in response to a request for new data by the client. Similar to system 100 (FIG. 1), the system 200 includes a plurality of mobile device clients 202, that have some form of wireless transmission capability (e.g., cellular communication capabilities). Each of the mobile devices 202 is in wireless communication with one of several mobile device operators 204. In this embodiment, however, the wireless communication link between the mobile device operator 204 and each mobile device 202 is not a specialized communication link for transmitting electronic mail messages. Instead, the communication link is a traditional data transmission communication link with a wide area network 206, such as the Internet. For example, in one common embodiment, a wireless enabled mobile device 202 can transmit data across the Internet in accordance with the Transmission Control Protocol (TCP)/Internet Protocol (IP) protocol. The mobile devices 202 utilize the network connection 206 to interface directly with the local electronic mail interface computing devices 208.
In practice, the mobile device 202 establishes a communication link with the electronic mail interface computing device 208, typically through a secure data transmission protocol. The mobile device 202 then transmits a request to receive any updated information (e.g., new electronic mail) directly to the electronic mail interface computing device 208. If there is new data for the mobile device user, the electronic mail interface computing device 208 generates an appropriate response that instructs the mobile device 102 to pull the data from the electronic mail interface computing device 208. If there is not new data, the electronic mail interface computing device 208 generates a negative response to the requesting mobile device 202. Once the mobile device request is processed, the communication link between the mobile device 202 and the electronic mail interface computing device 208 is terminated.
By allowing a direct communication channel between the mobile devices 202 and the electronic mail interface computing devices 208 over a network connection, the system 200 mitigates the need for specialized software/computing devices for each local network and at each mobile operator 204. However, conventional systems using a “pull” data model can become deficient in that incoming data may not be delivered contemporaneously as the data is received. Although this deficiency may be reduced by increasing the frequency in which the mobile devices 204 generate the above described data change requests, the typical methodology for establishing a communication link between a mobile device 204 and the electronic mail interface computing device 208 consumes power resources from the mobile device.
Thus, there is a need for a system and method for facilitating communication between a computing device and a network application that delivers incoming data notifications contemporaneously as the data is received while mitigating the need for specialized software/computing devices for each network.